Wheel construction



1944- c. HOLLERITH WHEEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 6, 1941 ON MW demount the tire.

Patented Aug. 29.1944

01...... Holleflfll, mun. men, a-knor u Hayes Industries, Ina,

.poration at Jackson. Iiela, a ear- Application January 0, 1m. Serial No. swam 1 Claim. (01. 153-400) This invention relates to wheel and rim constructions for pneumatic tires and has particular application to wheels and rims for aircraft.

It has heretofore wheel rim for pneumatic tires with annular ridge portions engaging with the inside of the tire beads to maintain the same adjacent the outer tire retaining flanges of the wheel rim. Reference may be had to the Bauer Patent No. 2,198,978, granted April 30, 1940, and disclosing this general type oi! construction and the purpose and advantages thereof.

In some wheel and tire constructions for aircrait purposes, the .size and shame! the tires are such that even in the case of so-called drop center rims, it is necessary to provide a split rim or tire retaining flange in order to mount and Where a split rim flange is used, it hasbeen necessary to provide means for holding the segmental parts of the rim in position to prevent the split rim and tire from being rolled of! the wheel upon deflation as when a blowout occurs.

According to the present invention, it is proposed to employ locking ridges upon the split rim flange which will function to retain the bead o! the tire in position upon the split rim flange even in the event of deflation. With this arrangement the tire head will function to retain the split rim flange in position when the tire is deflated as well as when it is inflated with the elimination oi certain flange retaining structure now in use.

Thus, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide an aircraft wheel having a split rim flange with means for retaining the tire bead in position to cause the bead of the tire to remain in embracing position relative to the split rim flange in the event oi! deflation.

been proposed to provide the Another object is to provide a wheel having an integral tire retaining flange and a split removabletire retaining flange, the removable flange having spaced lateral portions for engaging opposite sides of the tire bead.

A further object is to provide a wheel and rim structure having a pair of tire retaining flanges, at least one oi! the flanges being removable and having means for engaging opposite sides oi. the tire bead. Y

A still further object of the invention is to provide a wheel or rim structure for pneumatic tires of the type disclosed having a removable tire retaining flange, there being provided means for preventing relative movement between the wheel body and the removable flange and means ior preventing relative movement between the removable flange and the tire bead. supported thereon.

These and other objects and advantages residing in the present invention pertaining to the construction, combination and arrangement of parts disclosed in the accompanying drawing will be more fully described hereinafter in the detailed specification and annexed claim.

In the drawing, wherein a single embodiment of the present invention is Fig. l is a cross-sectional view through a wheel having a split rim embodying the principles of the present invention, the pneumatic tire being shown in dotted outline.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view similar to Fig. 1 3, and

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the wheel structure showing the split rim flange and driving lugs.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a cast aircraft wheel ll isshown having an integral tire retaining flange l2 and a removable tire retaining flange comprising semi-circular portions and I0. The flange sections I4 and il are generally L shaped in cross section and are shown provided with an annular rib it which interlocks with an annular groove 2| in the body of the wheel structure to prevent axial movement.

The ends of the flange sections it and It are in opposed relation at 22 and 24 with the opposed ends grooved at I. to provide abutting shoulders tor the driving lugs ll secured in grooves 30 by bolts 32.

The tire bead seat portions 34 of the flange sections I4 and I. are provided with an annular ridge 3| while the bead seat 3! adjacent the flan e i2 is provided with a similar ridge 0. The shape and construction of the ridges 3i and 40 will vary with diflerent types of tires and wheels and perform the same general functions as that disclosed in the aforesaid Bauer patent.

It will be appreciated by those'skilled in the wheel and rim art that even with the tire deflated as long as the head of the tire is maintained upon the seat 34 or the flange sections II and it. these sections will be retained against relative radial movement. In view of the fact that radial movement is required betore the flange sections I4 and it may be moved axially because of the interlocking engagement between theelements liandittheridgesll andllin the combination disclosed function to maintain the flange sections II and it in their proper posi- :sstionevenintheeventoideflationoithetire anritakcnonlineII-lioiFig.

2 v ass-1,000

with the elimination of all extraneous means for holdingthese split rim or flange sections in position as has heretofore been the practice.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim is:

A wheel for a pneumatic tire comprising a wheel body having a peripheral tire receiving portion provided with an integral outwardly projecting tire retaining flange at one side and being 01' reduced diameter toward the other side. the portion of reduced diameter having a peripheral groove therein, a pair or semi-circular removable tire retaining nange members titted on the portion 0! reduced diameter and having a rib recelved in the peripheral groove. said removable tire retainingnange-nrembers being generally L- shaped in cross section with one arm of the L- s shape conforming around and extending inwardly along the wheel body and externally-provided with a peripheral tire bead seat and the other arm projecting outwardly as a tire retaining flange. and said removable members being pro- 10 vided with a low annular ridge spaced inwardly from the outwardly projecting flange beyond the tire bead seat. .r

CHARLES HOLLERII'H. 

